A Bridge Back Home
by Rorschachs Journal
Summary: A mysterious cataclysm hurls Black Rock Shooter into another dimension. Our dimension. Unsure of who to trust or where to start her investigation Rock sets out on a journey across the Earth to find Mato and return to her own plane. Accompanied by her new companion's and armed with her great power and cunning can Rock win against this new evil? Or will she face the ultimate defeat?
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: First off I would just like to mention that this my first return to fan fiction in almost 8 years. After high school, work and career kind of muddled my chance's of being an aspiring author. While my current job is quite nice I am finally in a position that offer's me some free time to write. With that said I hope you all enjoy this relativley short story. New chapter's will be added regularly until I finish and or drop it and you may comment as you see fit. Obviously neither Black Rock Shooter nor it's character's are of my creation and all praise should go to the associated creators of this wonderful series.

BLACK ROCK SHOOTER: A BRIDGE BACK HOME

CHAPTER I

It was dark, to dark, the portal was gonna close any minute. Rock looked around trying to figure out which way was up but, she couldn't. An explosion from her other worldly self had caused some kind of ripple in the space time continuum. She didn't understand. What had Mato Kuroi's actions been to cause her world to collapse like this. Rock felt up to her head and pulled away blue blood. The wound was already healing. Dead Master and her had been strolling same as they always did when Black Gold Saw attacked. A symbol of some disturbance in the ethereal plane and some cataclysm between there host selves in the other world. The real world. But it didn't make any sense. Fight's like this had always happened. They did all the time. It was a representation of there host's emotional states, there mood swings which produced small ripples in there world created titan sized problem's in hers but, this was different. Something was very wrong. She recognized this feeling. It was the same feeling she had when she first met Mato in a bridge between there dimensions. All to save her friend Yomi. But, while that bridge had been created by emotion and sheer will this one was something else, something... foreign.

Rock reached back and pulled her hand forward fast the gloved finger's materializing into her Black Rock cannon. She aimed forward at the mouth of the tunnel. The light was getting closer, she was nearing the end. Rock was unsure of where this vortex lead but, she also didn't know if where it was taking her was necessarily a "good" place. Time to take a chance. She aimed the cannon all the way forward and fired. She fired again, and again, and again and saw a large explosion at the end of the tunnel. For a second this seemed to have no effect. Then she realized all to late that perhaps this hadn't been the best course of action. The vortex shook violently slamming her body against the debris and shrapnel within the tunnel and then there was a white hot flash of light and then she was falling. Blue sky, green tree's, blue sky, green tree's. "Oh my God!" she thought, I'm tumbling. She tried to right herself but it was to late. She heard a loud screeching and then a blast of sound before she passed out into blackness.

Corben swerved the car hard, it looked like he had almost hit a black panther or a cougar or something. The old Nissan Maxima jerked hard right then left and he almost scraped the guard rail before coming to a stop on the side of the off ramp. The young 17 year old man looked at his watch. June 3rd at 15 past three PM. "Monday of course Monday is the day I almost hit a wild animal coming home from school." He backed the old car up a little and righted it parking on the side of the road then adjusted his rear view mirror. The animal was still sitting on the side of the road but, it was far to big to be a normal household cat. "This is impossible panther's don't live in Jersey or" he thought for a second "at least not in Newark."

The kid stepped out of his car onto the road and inspected the bumper's. No damage "Hmm" he murmured "I know I didn't hit it so what do zoo animals just fall from the sky." He ran a finger through his short brown hair and then saw it. There was a small star on the creatures back and it had skin human skin! Oh shit it was human! He sprinted to the small person's side and then saw it was a girl. A young girl with uneven pig tails clad in a long black coat, short short's, and a …... spaghetti strap bra? She can't be coming back from school, no school in the States nay the world would let there student's dress like this. Then again she could of skipped out but, even the most negligent parent wouldn't let there daughter go out dressed like a prost-a-tot. Corben was so wrapped up in his musings that for a second he forgot this girl needed serious medical attention.

He knelt down next to her and checked for injuries. "Hey, are you all right. Hey kid can you hear me. Awww man." He ripped out his Iphone and dialed 911. "Emergency services how can I help you?" the operator said on the phone. "Yeah my name is Corben Smyth I've been involved in an accident off of exit 17 on I-95. Young girl about uhhhh... 15 years old stepped out in front of my car. I didn't hit her but, she seems to need medical attention she's unconscious. I think she might have brain damage I don't want to move her." "OK sir just stay with her support her head where sending an ambulance and a police car out to you now. You said your on an off ramp?" "Yes" he replied. "OK sir" the operator continued "I need you to go into your car and find something to halt traffic on that ramp can you do that? Do have a signal kit of some kind?" Corben looked at his trunk he was really nervous "Yeah, yeah I have uhhhh... road flares from my dad he's a cop in uhhmmmm... Plainfield."

The operator breathed in "Okay good move the victim gently to the side of the road and prop her head and feet underneath a jacket or if you have it a pillow and then set out the flares. The EMT should be there any minute. Please stay on the line sir." "Oh thank you..." Corben said "thank you very much." "It's OK sir don't worry help will be there soon.

As Corben searched through his car he grabbed his dirty football jersey and his helmet. He propped the girls head as instructed and grabbed the flares out of his trunk. "Oh shit, oh shit oh shit, my life's over" he lamented. "There gonna think I hit this bitch." "Why did it have to be like this" he continued to have his own quiet pity party until the cop's showed up. The ambulance assessed the girl's wounds or lack there of and moved her onto a stretcher before shoving her into the ambulance. The cop's continued to question the young witness and reasoned they would have to book the young athlete and take him in for questioning. The lead patrolman gave the young man's car another once over. Not a single scratch or dent. It was definatley an old four door but, hitting another human being was always quite messy. This car had no signs of impact and he had looked at the young girl to. She had no scrapes or bruises of any kind. The officer mulled this over silently before climbing back into his patrol car. "Maybe he didn't hit her."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER II

Detective Augustus glanced over the complete paperwork for case file 098801. As the head Detective of traffic and vehicle related accidents for the greater Somerset county area it was his job to thoroughly look over or at least check on every traffic case that came across his desk. With that said accident's happened everyday and it was impossible for one man to look over every single fender bender in the greater north Jersey area so he tried to keep his full attention limited to case's like this. Asian female apporximatley 15-16 years of age involved in head on collision off of an I-95 off ramp in Newark. Single suspect. White male 17 years of age name Corben Jay Smyth, Father Jefferey Smyth a Sergeant for the Plainfield police department with 19 years of service and no bad conduct reports or IA investigations. Upon glance of the round up report by Detective Valerio have concluded that the girl did not suffer any trauma from the suspects car nor was she hit by the car at all. The suspects vehicle a 1993 Nissan Maxima license plate RX9-014 show's no sign of damage from impact with the victim. The victim also show's no sign of blunt trauma or vehicle related injury. Suspect is still unconscious at this time at St. Luke's west Newark hospital but, something was strange. It had been over 6 hours since the incident and no one had called in looking for this teenager. Not only that but, she didn't match any missing person's reports in the county nor the state.

She was quite obviously of Asian decent but, her clothes seemed somewhat American. Having a young girl himself the detective's thought drifted to his daughter and more to the point how ridiculously furious he would be if he caught her going anywhere but to the beach in the getup they had found the victim in. Knee high boots and black gloves with very short short's and an all to revealing spaghetti strap bra with black coat ensemble. He would have to wait until the girl awoke to complete his investigation but, as of now there was no longer any reason to hold the young man in question. He quite obviously had not hit her and judging by the skid marks on the off ramp from the preliminary report he wasn't speeding excessively on exit 17. "Hey boss" Valerio came into his office without knocking. After 12 years on the force together there was no need they were on almost psychic level. "What do you wanna do with our suspect? His father's here and he's a cop also." Valerio added with meaning.

"Yes I know I've looked over our young football star's file, no misdemeanors, no previous arrests, I'm sure daddy keeps his boy out of trouble wouldn't you say?" Augustus added with a quip.

"Heh, yeah you wanna cut him loose? He didn't really do anything wrong."

"Quite the contrary actually this kid deserves a medal for doing the right thing if you ask me. Most teenage drivers would drive off and we would just have another hit and run case but, considering the circumstances and evidence the only thing this kid hit was a stroke of bad luck so let's go pull him." Augustus said lifting himself up out of his office chair.

Rock awoke to blinding light. Hot stinging blinding light. As her vision cleared she lifted her left hand to cover her eyes. Then her right. There was a small tube sticking out of her right forearm and her gloves were gone. She sat up quickly the sheets sliding down her torso. Her gloves weren't the only thing. Aside from a white hospital gown which was far to loose she was for all intents and purposes naked underneath this flimsy garment. Rock blushed furiously and looked up at the wall clock. She tried to think back Dead Master then a fight with Black Gold Saw an earthquake a vortex and then blackness. She obviously wasn't a prisoner, she'd been captured and captured many other's over the course of her strange life. Prisons had bar's and chains and interrogations and they didn't take your clothes! Rock blushed again. So where was she. Rock rolled her feet off the bed and placed her left hand over the tube. It was shoved deep into her skin and into her veins. She gripped it hard and tore it out tape and all.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! A siren from a machine beside her bed and outside her room screamed this loud obnoxious noise. She placed her hands over her ears hard slammed her head down into her lap. "What the hell" she thought. She heard a door slam open a man and woman dressed in all white came in smiled and flipped some switches on the machine ceasing the noise. Rock replaced her hands by her side and watched the two older individuals as they moved around the room with some strange sense of purpose. The man opened some cabinets, removed some instruments and sat down in a chair then wheeled himself over to her with great ease. "And how are we felling tonight?" The man asked still smiling. "I'm Dr. Lennox and this is Gabe you've been asleep for over 6 hours, so whats your name? How are you feeling" Any chance you could give us your mom and dad's phone number I'm sure there worried about you." The doctor inquired all smiles.

He pulled out a small piece of rounded wood and proceeded to stick it in Rock's mouth. "Say AHHH," he said. "Rock opened her mouth to comment and the man shoved the wood into her mouth. She was furious she slapped the wooden stick across the room.

"Anata wa nani o shite iru. Anata dare!?" Rock shouted in protest.

The old man looked hurt "oh dear, I'm sorry. Young lady do you speak English?" The doctor asked.

Rock was confused why were they speaking in that tongue. "Anata wa nani o eigo no imidesu ka? Anata dare? Watashi wa sa reta?" The doctor looked more confused than ever.

"Doctor?" Nurse Gabe asked "What is she speaking?"

"Well I'm a little rusty but, that's definatley Japanese. Hmm lets see uh watashinonamaeha hakase renokkusudeari, anata ga eigo o hanasu ka wa, Amerika no byōindearimasu ka?" the doctor asked. Rock looked confused for a moment but then understood. All at once in fact.

There was no doubt about it she was in Mato's dimension but, wherever she had landed the speech here was different. Black Rock Shooter however was obviously no normal human and reached deep into the recess's of her brain to flip a small switch which would allow her to communicate with these people and hopefully figure out a way out of here.

"Yes" she said with a perfect accent "I do speak English."

"Wonderful now that we got that cleared up let me explain I need to take your temperature and pulse and run some tests, you were brought from what your chart said a collision with a car but, aside from being unconscious you show no signs of being hit by well... anything. Tell me dear did you just pass out from the heat in the road?"

"No." Rock said

"So you were hit by a car?" The doctor asked.

"No."

"So what were you doing lying in the middle of the road?"

"I don't know." Rock said her face like stone.

"Hmm" Dr. Lennox scrunched his brow and thought hard, nurse could you do me a favor and call that detective, his card should be in my office.

Corben sat in the interrogation room starring at an empty chair until the door opened. In walked two men in suits who he assumed were either detectives or FBI or whatever. There had been no real talk of his case since he got there. To people had asked him if he hit the girl and he had said no to both of them. He was sure of it, there was no blood, no damage, so was he guilty or not. The suspense was killing him. Was his life about to end? Were these guy's going to charge him with vehicular manslaughter? Corben was sweating hard, his whole life was flashing before his eyes this was bad. The fat detective sat down across from him and opened a folder while the skinny one lit up a cigarette in the corner.

"Corben Smyth age 17 you play wide receiver for the Somerset Six Knights right?" the detective asked. "Yeah for the past 3 years I'm hoping to get a full scholarship to Notre Dame." Corben replied hoping the detective would go easy on him. "Heh, you can rest easy son you didn't hit that girl and we just got back your tox reports. Negative on all illegal substances." Corben let out a huge sigh of relief

"As a matter of fact" the Detective continued "we both agree your a hero."

"What do you mean?" Corben asked unsure of the comment.

"Well most young men with a future like yours wouldn't of even stopped hell they wouldn't of even glanced. But you stopped and helped a total stranger without even thinking twice of the trouble you could have been in and on top of that you didn't hit her to begin with. You weren't driving some big fancy car and you took care of the girl right up until the EMT's showed up. Your daddy raised you right son and he's here to pick you up now."

"So I'm" Corben was interrupted by the beaming detective "yup your free to go. Your dad's waiting in the lobby to take you home and we have a truck dropping off your car now back home free of charge of course."

The skinny detective extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray on the table and opened the door. "Have a good night Corben" he said "And make sure you do your homework." Corben chuckled and left the room but, stopped and ducked his head back in. "Look I know I didn't hit that girl but, if you don't mind I would like to go bring her some flowers or something at the hospital. What room is she in? Is she still asleep."

Detective Augustus looked at his watch then opened the file back up. "Sure why not" he said "She's in roooooooooooom uhhhh 402 at St. Luke's I'll let the boys no your" the man's cell phone vibrated dulling the conversation. The plump detective unclipped it from his belt and looked at the text. "Hmm, looks like she just woke up. Well I better head over, you can come by tomorrow regardless of how she feel's there going to have to keep her overnight for testing. Why don't you come by after school."

"Thanks Detective..." Corben trailed off "Augustus" the man finished "and don't mention it Detective Valerio will show you to the lobby have a nice night."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER: III

The next day was far less eventful. Corben dropped his little sister off at school and then continued his trip in his rickety old car this time significantly slower than usual. After some boring morning classes it was finally time for practice. As he caught, passed, ran, and dodged in conjunction with the play's his thoughts drifted back to the young Asian beauty whom he had almost splattered with his car a day prior. There was a package store only a block away from his school that sold the most lovely begonias. Corben considered himself a somewhat old fashioned guy and had used flowers and his status as a football player often to pick up girl's but, he was, in a way, far more intelectual than the rest of his teammates. And was seeking more than just a blonde airheaded cheer leaeder to laugh at his jokes and play with his hair. Then again he thought to himself "how much smarter could SHE be. I mean what kind of fashion statement was she making the "I know I got the goods but you can't have them statment" or the "look my daddy doesn't care how I dress" Statement.

"Hello Earth to Corb, what you doin man?" Corben's friend interupted his train of thought. "Sorry Matt I was driftin whats up?" he asked.

"Yeah Fergie told me about that sweet thing you saved on the side of the road yesterday."

"Ferguson told you about that?" Corben asked now very much interested in what Matt had to say.

"Yeah he said that you rescued some hot chick from a heat stroke or something and the cops thought you hit her with your car."

"That's pretty much the full story I'm gonna drop by the hospital today to see her, wanna come?" Corben asked his friend.

"Naw Michelle and I got something special planned tonight her parents are out of town dude." Matt said his face blushing with anticipation. "Ha ha" Corben chuckled. "Alright well stay out of trouble, I ain't takin care of your kids."

Matt slapped him upside the head "Oh, come off it I ain't that stupid besides when's the last time you got any?"

Corben slammed his locker and shoved his jersey in his blue Rebock duffel sitting on the bench. "To long" he said "I gotta go see ya around."

"Hey hey!" Matt called after him "Don't forget we got that game with stony brook this Saturday I'm gonna need ya for this one crazy!"

"I'll be there" Corben called over his shoulder waving to his friend as he pushed out of the locker room and into the highschool parking lot.

"What do you mean she dosen't remember anything." Detective Augustus threw his hands in the air knocking the coffee cup to the floor with a low splash. "I mean exactly what I'm telling you boss" Valerio flipped the portfolio to the beginning and started again "the girl who identifies herself only as Rock doesn't know her real age, home of address, next of kin, or social security number. She's a ghost in the system in every sense of the word. Dr. Lennox said when she awoke she was speaking Japanese but, I wouldn't put my bet on illegal immigrant because I don't know any who speak English as well as she does. We can't rule out the possibility of human trafficking or sex slave trading but, without a full guynocological exam we won't be able to know for sure." Valerio looked in and noticed his chief hadn't heard a word he said but, instead was looking threw the plexi glass at the young girl who was getting yet another examination. "Chief are you listening?" The detective asked skeptically. "Yeah yeah" Augustus half heartedly said. The girl was cooperating for now but had told him personally that if they did not give her access to what she called an information source (he assumed she meant a computer with internet) soon that she would seek other ventures.

"I don't suppose" Detective Augustus began "this is just a theory but, some sexually abused young girls block out the terrible memories by burying them deep in there sub-concious do you suppose she really can't recall." He turned to face his partner "when she arrived who removed her clothes and put her in the hospital gown did they notice any damage to her genitals or other scar tissue?"

Valerio stared him in the eyes "Yeah I asked the nurse about that she said that aside from a small scar on her torso there was no damage to any of her private parts or noticeable bruising."

"So we can probablly rule out human and sex trafficking."

"Maybe she really is just a runaway chief ya know with parents who just don't give a damn." Valerio added trying to ease the head detectives mind.

"I don't know, when I was talking to her well, I served in Iraqi freedom for a short time you know Phantom Fury 1 and 2."

"What's this got to do with her?" Valerio interuptted.

"I'm getting to that!" The older detective shouted.

"Anyways after a few months of hard fighting you know the bloodshed the guts bodies torn to pieces, small children snuffed out, small animals squashed by tanks and HMMWV tires. Through all that shit I remember we stopped in Ramadi on our way out and I saw a young boy sitting next to a burnt up pile of corpses. Don't know why they put him there but, through all that shit I stopped and knelt down and broke bread with this kid ya know like doing this one act of kindness might save my soul and I looked into this kids eyes and I saw the same thing in his eyes that were in mine only reflected back at me. The eyes of a warrior, the eyes of a killer." Augustus exhaled and took out a cigarette to light it up. "When we talked to Rock last night she had those same eyes. Warrior's eyes."

Corben parked his car next to a handicapped spot as close as he could get it to the hospital and walked into the visitor center. The lady at the front desk looked up and smiled. "Can I help you?"

"Yes ma'am" he replied "I'm looking for a young girl they brought in room 402, the police said I would be able to see her."

"Oh yes" the attendant squealed "the detective mentioned you would be dropping by. Sign here and you can head on up. The two officer's are still up there so I'm sure they will be happy to see you in."

"Thank you very much" Corben replied he signed his name and made his way to the elevator. After exiting the lift Corben noticed the two detective's from yesterday standing beside a window and there was the girl. She was sitting on a bed in a room wearing nothing more than a plane hospital gown getting her blood pressure taken. He approached the oldest one Augustus and pushed out his hand to shake. "Good afternoon Detective how are you." Detective Augustus put up a fake smile. "Great how are Corben?"

"I'm fine ya know same old", he turned and peered in the room where the mysterious girl was now carrying on a conversation with a doctor. What he did not see was the two Detectives whispering to eachother.

Corben turned around in time to see them pull away from eachother "Corben we have a little bit of an issue and we think you can help." Detective Valerio said smiling at the young man. "The girl's name is Rock and she is having a very hard time remembering details about herself. We want you to talk to her see if she can remember anything, anything at all."

"Like what?" Corben asked.

"Anything" Valerio continued "you see aside from her name we haven't made any headway in finding out why she was laying in the middle of the road in the first place and as you can imagine we are quite busy. She is still a minor and tomorrow her case will be turned over to social services. If no evidence comes up about her true identity in a few hours we will have no choice but, to turn her over to custody of the state orphans society."

"She's an orphan" Corben was now confused what had he gotten himself into.

Detective Augustus stepped forward. "Where not sure weather it be amnesia, trauma, what have you she know's nothing about herself or her origins, we would appreciate it if you would talk to her and see if she can tell us at least who her parents are so we can send her home. Could you do that for us?"

"I'll try but, I'm no psychiatrist" Corben commented as Dr. Lennox got up and left the room. He shook his head at the two detectives and stepped forward "Nothing" Lennox said "I'm sorry."

"No problem" Detective Augustus said. "Keep her under close observation social services will be by tomorrow to pick her up meanwhile where gonna let this young man talk to her. Maybe she'll respond better to someone from her age group." Detecive Augustus finished and then nodded at Corben. He nodded back tucked the flower's under his arm and opened the door.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER: IV

Corben passed the threshold and immediately felt very uncomfortable. The girl was staring right threw him like she could see his soul or something. She stood in a defensive and defiant way that Corben was all to familiar with. He played his fair share of video games and had couch potato TV time like any other kid but years of football and karate were etched into his genes and he recognized the way the girl stood. She was expecting him to attack her or at the very least knock her over. "What is her deal" Corben wondered. "She actually thinks I'm gonna attack her" Corben was automatically attracted to this tough cookie. In a way he couldn't describe. She was trying to read him even though he had done nothing to provoke her. "Well" he thought "time to break the ice."

"Hello" he said "my name is "Mato!" the girl interrupted.

"Excuse me?" he said.

"I'm looking for Mato" she spoke again "Mato Kuroi."

"Is that a "A person" she interrupted him again.

"Well I don't know her is that your mother or your sister or"

"She's me." the girl replied.

"So your looking for yourself?" Corben was really confused.

"I'm confused the cop's said your name is Rock so are you Mato or Rock?"

"Both."

"So is Rock like a nickname or"

"No I'm Rock" the girl's face was becoming flushed like she didn't like talking or something very not girl like at all.

"So who's Mato?"

"She's me!" Rock shouted

"OH my GOD!" Corben shouted "do you realize how crazy you sound right now?"

"Are you Mato or Rock you can't be both."

"Yes I can and I am" she said crossing her arms and looking away.

"Great first hot girl I meet in 4 months and she's a fricken lunatic" Corben said to himself tossing the flower's on the bed.

Rock looked back at the boy and sat down across from him. "Who are you?"

"Me, I'm Corben, Corben Smyth."

"You seem different from the people outside" she said pointing to the men behind the glass. "That's not surprising I'm only a junior what are you a freshmen?"

"No I'm the Black Rock Shooter." Rock said full of confidence. "Hmm is that so" Corben said sarcastically "well I'm the starting wide receiver for the Somerset Six Knights."

"I don't know what that is." Rock said a dull look on her face. "Hey that's my line" Corben shot back.

"What are those?" Rock said pointing at the bouquet.

"Flowers" Corben replied "for you by the way."

"And that?" she said pointing at the dresser next to the hospital bed.

"A dresser."

"And that?"

"A thermometer."

"And That?"

"That checks your pulse."

"And that" Rock had stopped on the bed pan.

Corben blushed and said "let's try something else" he said pushing the flower's into Rocks hands. "You sniff em by the way." Rock sniffed the flower's blushed a little and smiled. "They smell wonderful." "There begonia's" Corben commented I thought you might like them. "Thank you" she said "no ones ever given me anything."

"Well you see that's what I wanted to ask you" Corben started, "who are you really and where are you from?" Rock's eyes shifted again she was wearing her proverbial suit of armor again. "No doubt about it" Corben thought "those were warrior eye's only people who knew how to fight could shield themselves behind eyes like that.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" Rock said placing the flowers back on the bed. "Try me." Corben goaded.

"You won't buy it." Rock continued.

"I've heard some crazy shit."

"Is that so?"

"Yup."

"You sure."

"Yeah."

"OK," Rock sighed long and heavy "but, as crazy as it sounds I do know how this plane of existence works. You have to promise me you will keep this to yourself."

"But" Corben interrupted "don't you want to go home? Those cops can help you besides"

"besides" Rock now interrupted him "it wouldn't matter, I can leave this place any time I want, these walls are flimsy and this structure is poorly built but, I need information. I don't know where I am or where I ended up on this plane of existence but I do know I need to find Mato she's my other half and she may know what's going on and how I get back to my world." Corben didn't like where this was going so he took a deep breath and sat down in the observation stool.

"Picture your world when you have an argument with someone or fight someone weather it be verbally or physically and then you go your separate ways, maybe you stay friends, maybe you were never friends to begin with, or maybe neither of you wish to be friends anymore. Regardless you ever hear the saying when you hurt someone else bears that pain for you." Corben shook his head "well I'm that someone else I'm Mato's someone else I'm the Black Rock Shooter. And every time a decision or argument, a fight or a tiff, a brawl or a single punch is made on this plane of existence we are fighting for our very survival on the other plane of existence." "Why are you telling me this?" Corben was strapped for words, this chick was no doubt crazy he had never heard such a paranoid delusion but, what was he gonna tell the cops. No way they would believe him or her. "Because when you walked in here you automatically recognized who I was and what I was doing. You knew I was on the defense, you knew I intended to kill you if you tried to cause me any harm. And I've met you before White Blade Knight."

"What did you call me?" Corben was wrought with questions now. Was she saying that he had an other worldly self to. This was crazy he didn't have to humor her any more he had homework and job hunting real world problems to deal with. "Look I hate to break it to you but you need real psychological help. I'm sorry I really am. Your cute and all please enjoy the flowers but, I have to tell the cop's. You could be a danger to yourself and everyone around you."

"What are you talking about?! Did you listen to a word I said!?" Rock shouted standing up and walking to a face distance between her and Corben.

"Yes, I listened to the whole damn thing and I GAAH!" Rock hoisted Corben out of his seat and held him by the neck throwing him into the wall of the hospital room like he was a flimsy stuffed animal. Corben looked to the plexi glass and felt his heart sink. Both the two police officer's and the doctor were gone, no help would be coming.

"Let me go you crazy bitch!" Corben fought against Rock's grip with both hands but it was iron hard. It was like she wasn't even trying or something. "What the hell is this? Does she have retard strength or something?" Corben thought tearing away at the girl's grip. It was stone tough. "OK" he thought "remember what sensei said. When involved in a real fight use every method necessary to build distance and subdue your opponent." Corben bit down hard on the girl's pale flesh. It felting like trying to take a bite out of granite and had no effect. Rock simply glared deeper into his soul her piercing gaze showing no sign of remorse. Corben couldn't understand it was he gonna die here at the hands of some crazy Asian broad. Then things got really scary. "Your...eye!" Corben gasped. "What!?" Rock said suddenly taking interest in what the boy had to say she eased up on her grasp enough for him to speak. "Your eye it's on fire." "Huff!" Rock exhaled hard and dropped Corben on the ground where he laid there writhing like a fish for breath. She turned and saw a mirror. The signature blue flame was ignited over her eye. In her anger she couldn't even sense the danger approaching. "Black Gold Saw" she whispered. "What?!" Corben gasped leaning onto his hands and knees. "Black Gold Saw!" she yelled "get in cover!"

She grabbed Corben by the belt of his pants and threw herself along with him under the hospital bed. For a split second nothing happened and then the room exploded. Corben could feel the heat on his face and then all sound just dropped out.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER: V

There was a loud ringing in Corben's ear as the distortion of quite literally being blown up rattled his equilibrium. As vision and sound returned he realized he was still underneath the hospital bed Rock sprawled out on top of him looking towards the huge whole in the wall. "Look if you don't need me I'll just be "SHHHH!" Rock gave him a stern look and put a finger over her lips then peered out from underneath the bed. There was a strange wisp of air and then two dark high heel boots landed on the floor flying in threw the maw created by the blast that took out the hospital wall. Then with a loud clunk a large black blade with a gold serrated edge dropped to the deck and began dragging across the hospital floor as the two high heel boots marched across the room slowly until they came to a stop in front of the hospital bed. For a second it looked like the owner of the boot's and the ridiculous sushi knife knew exactly where Corben and Rock were hiding. Then she turned and began walking towards the door. Corben let out a loud sigh and Rock slapped her hand over his mouth her eye shooting blue flame again. The high heel boots stopped then turned walking back towards the bed where they came to stop once again.

Rock looked at the boots then back at Corben she placed her hands over his chest and then violently pushed hard sending him sailing out from the bed on one side while Rock sailed towards the stiletto wearing freak show on the other. Just as she did this Black Gold Saw shoved her blade into the hospital bed piercing straight down into the marble flooring where Corben and Rock had been only moments sooner. Rock twirled around on her back and slammed her feet hard into Black Gold Saw's legs sending her tumbling to the floor and leaving her sword stuck in the hospital bed. Rock swung around onto her back and back flipped up onto her feet her hospital gown revealing more to Corben than he would of liked to see without first getting to know the girl better. Saw stared up defiantly at Rock who gripped her adversaries weapon at the hilt and pulled it from the flimsy cot. With one quick vertical slash Rock sliced the ground and air where Saw had been as the nimble red eyed woman twirled up on her hands and performed a vertical back kick hitting Rock in the face and sending her spinning into the machines on the wall.

Rock regained her composure quickly took a basic warrior's stance with the large sword and swiped again at the hand standing Black Gold Saw. Left then right Rock brought the tip of the blade to bear and thrusted it into the ground once more. Saw back flipped onto the wall her last perch of untouched ground and threw a hail mary kick striking Rock across the face sending her tumbling towards the huge gaping hole in the room and causing her to drop the golden sword. Saw flipped off the wall and grabbed the hilt somersaulting into Rock and catching her with her free hand by the young girls throat. Saw twirled the sword in her hands a few times then brought it up to the young girls neck sliding it slowly over her jugular.

Corben who had been watching this whole crazy thing stood up to his full height and watched helplessly as this demon woman with horns sticking out of her head and ridiculous black and red …... stripper clothes was only seconds away from slicing crazy girl number ones head off. He realized he totally owed Rock an apology but, it would have to wait. He grabbed the bed pan off the dresser and whipped it at demon girls head making a loud PING! Noise off her skull. Corben lept over the bed and slammed his fist into the crazy broads face sending her reeling into the wall. "Ahhh DAMN!" Corben yelled punching the woman in the face was like punching the wall of China it hurt like hell. Rock was still teetering over the edge and reached out and grabbed the tail of Corben's shirt sending them both toppling over the edge four stories face first into the parking lot. Rock grabbed Corben like a baby in her arms. For all intents and purposes Corben was acting like a baby screaming the whole way down. "AHHHHHH!"

Rock touched down on the concrete gingerly still cradling her new friend and looked into his eyes. "So I guess I kinda owe you an apology, huh?" Corben asked feeling genuinely sorry for doubting the girl. Rock set him down on his feet and Corben regained his composure. "So what now?" he asked. Rock's eye burst into flame again, she looked up to see Saw coming straight for them blade first. Rock looked back at Corben and pushed him as quickly as she could sending him skidding across the parking lot on his back. She completed two full back flips as Black Gold Saw, blade and all came crashing down into the concrete creating a small crater and a large cloud of dust, the second close call in as many seconds. Rock completed her third back flip and set down on the deck in a pounce like state her eye burning furiously. In the dust she could see Black Gold Saw pull on her weapon twice and then unsheathe it from the parking lot's surface. The last of the rubble and pebbles from the huge crater rained down around the three individuals the smoke settling. Saw met eye's with Rock, threw her sword over her shoulder, and began casually strutting towards Black Rock Shooter out of the crater she created.

Rock broke eye contact with Saw and looked over at Corben "Run!" she said.

"But..." Corben began "RRRUUUUNNNNNN!" Rock yelled harder at the boy closing her eyes in fury. Corben rolled over onto all fours and started sprinting towards his car. He only looked back once and as he did he saw something spectacular. Rock was glowing the wind picking up all around her, her flimsy hospital gown blowing around her and for a second Corben thought that maybe the girl was an angel.

"What the hell!" Detective Jack Augustus burst into the hospital room where he had left the two teenagers only minutes before, Dr. Lennox and his partner Valerio in tow. "A terrorist attack." Valerio hypothesized. Augustus looked back at his partner with disdain "Your shittin me right!? On one fourth floor room in a hospital in Jersey!?" Detective Valerio narrowed his eyebrows at his boss "Well then "Well then" Augustus interrupted "it seems our young lady with the strange name has more secrets than we ever could have dreamed of."

Valerio was at a complete loss for words "Boss what are you saying?" Augustus walked to the edge of the hole in the room and peered off into the abyss. His eyes focused on the two young women at street level. One was the girl from before "Rock". Still in only a hospital gown it now appeared that blue flames and debris were shooting out of her body and congealing in a mass around her right arm. The other one a slightly older woman slowly walking towards her wielding an enormous sword with a gold blade. Upon closer inspection the fat detective noticed what looked like horns jutting out of her scalp.

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He attempted to light it but, the air drifting in from the huge hole in the wall snuffed the flame on his lighter. Without taking his gaze off the spectacle below he whispered to his partner "I can't even begin to imagine what the hell is going on but, something tells me its bigger than the both of us." As the detective attempted to light his cig a second time he noticed the patrolman from the lobby running up behind the two women. "Shit!" Augustus shouted "We gotta get down there!" He tossed the cigarette out of the hole in the wall and turned towards the door at a dead sprint "tell that ass-whole to stay away from those two freak show's, if they can survive a four story drop Lord only knows what else there capable of!"

The young patrolman approached the two women at a jog one was wielding an enormous blade and the other was quite literally bursting into flames. "Spontaneous combustion" he thought or perhaps the girl with horns had some kind of incendiary device he didn't know but, it was quite obvious to him the one with the blade was the bad guy. He came to a skidding stop on the peppered asphalt and raised his weapon at Black Gold Saw. "FREEZE!" he shouted. Rock and Saw turned to look at the patrolman. Rock turned her gaze back to Saw's dark red eyes. "No!" she thought she morphed her hand into her signature Black Rock Cannon but, all to late. Saw hurled her sword on it's axis blade first towards the police officer decapitating the poor man instantly. The head toppled to the ground and then what was left of his body crumbled along with it folding knees first to the deck. The Blade hit the length of it's chain that Saw had it attached to and she yanked it back to her grasp.

Rock took aim with her cannon arm "the man's sacrifice would not be in vane" she thought. With a large whoosh of quick charge and a high pitched "BANG!" she fired. Saw wasn't able to recover her sword fast enough and caught the first blast full on in the chest sending her careening into the back of a parked ambulance in front of the ER. Rock crouched and then lept into the air BANG!, BANG!, BANG! She pumped three consecutive rounds into the ambulance igniting it's fuel tank and causing a massive explosion shattering the glass in the front of the hospital and causing the people inside to scream in terror. Rock performed a single flip and landed in front of the towering inferno. She raised to her full height the hospital gown now burnt and torn whipping in the wind. There was some scraping of shrapnel and a loud clash as a burning stretcher rolled out of the flames. Rock's eye burned ever brighter and she brought her cannon arm forward. A flash of light and blue flame and the cannon transformed into a slick black Katana.

Black Gold Saw burst from the wreckage a red hot fury of burning flame in her eyes and soared in one quick dash towards Rock. There swords met with a loud clash of sparks and flame that rained down around them. Detective's Augustus and Valerio ran out on the asphalt there shoes crunching on the glass and twisted metal left behind from the destruction of the hospital reception area. Jack's phone vibrated on his side as the horned woman forced the smaller girl into the hospital courtyard. The two gentlemen took a knee behind the burning wreckage and Detective Augustus brought the phone to his ear. "Send it!" he yelled. "Detective Jack Augustus?" a voice asked on the other end. Jack inhaled "Your speakin to him!"

"Detective Augustus this is the Newark city west precinct dispatch office we have a report from St. Luke's of an explosion and officer down on seen." Jack cut off the operator "West we need every patrolman you got on duty down here now! I need rotary wing and EMT as well as fire and emergency crews on station as soon as possible!"

"Roger." the operator said on the other end "Whats the disturbance?"

Detective Augustus and Valerio peered around the wreckage at the two girl's now locked in mortal combat in the courtyard. As they looked on Rock rolled across some bushes as Saw sliced an oak tree clean in half causing it to almost fall on her adversary. Jack put the phone back up to his ear. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you dispatch. Just send everything you go..." Augustus dropped his phone as his partner jerked him up to his feet. "Err.. What.. what the hell man?!" he yelled.

"We gotta go boss!" his friends face was turning white "we gotta go right now!" and pointed at the flaming ambulance. Only a few feet away the flames were licking at the exposed nitrogen and oxygen tanks in the burning ambulance. Augustus lept the rest of the way to his feet and was now running even faster than his partner "Oh my GOD!" The tanks in the ambulance exploded sending the two cop's flying the rest of the way back into the hospital where they toppled over the reception desk and landed on top of the petrified secretary who let out a loud yelp as the two men ruined her hiding spot.

"This is not good" Rock thought. She batted away another swipe from Black Gold Saw's significantly larger sword. The clash caused a torrent of wind and Earth that streaked towards the parking lot and flipped a couple of car's over. "This was just like last time" Rock was becoming frustrated. Her last fight with Black Gold Saw had ended in a bitter defeat that had taken her weeks to recover from. If she were to be impaled on this plane of existence she wasn't sure if she would be able to survive it, the suspense was killing her. Saw lept forward and swiped the ground Rock back flipped on her free hand and spun around but, Saw perried the blow again. Rock rolled slid on the grass her bear knees assisted by the evening dew and lept up on a tree branch in the courtyard. She flipped up one more branch and then jumped to the next tree. Saw's fury of blade strikes spliced the tree into tiny splinter's and leaves the force carrying Rock over the top's of the branches and causing her to land unbalanced on a rock by a small creek bed.

Black Gold Saw swung a hard horizontal baseball bat style blow knocking the katana from Rocks hand's and causing her to slip and fall on her behind in the creek's ankle high water. Drenched, dirty, and bleeding Black Rock Shooter stared up into the eye's of her opponent once more. The young girls azure eye's betrayed no fear as usual but, inside Rock was burning fury. "How did she best me again, it's almost like she can see what my next move will be before I even make it. I know I'm not telegraphing my style so what?" Black Gold Saw's piercing gaze met Rock's and she knew the girl had no choice but to expect her defeat. "Perhaps she can see my moves." Rock thought desperately trying to figure a way out of the situation. What Black Gold Saw did not see however, was the gray bumper of an old Nissan Maxima as it streaked in a 180 on the slippery grass and caught the horned beauty in the chest flinging her hard against a tree. The tree shook under the heavy pressure as the force of the blow sent her head back in a snapping motion against the tree trunk. Saw was completely dazed as she slumped to her butt and sat there trying to shake the star's away and recover.

Corben backed the car up and righted it facing back towards the parking lot and the exit which would lead back to the highway and safety. He rolled down his window, "That's twice you owe me sister! Good luck!" With that Corben threw the car in drive and made tracks in the wet grass as he sped off back towards the parking lot. Rock lifted herself out of the water in time to see that as Corbens car left the parking lot a string of police cars and SUV's lights and sirens blazing filtering in her direction. Rock stomped out of the creek and retrieved her sword. Then she set her sights on Black Gold Saw. She strutted up to Saw as the woman was regaining her stance leaving a streak of blood against the tree trunk. She saw Rock and snatched out for her sword but, Rock kicked it away. With her free hand Rock brought her fist up and slammed it home on the outside of Saw's jaw drawing blood and sending the woman's head back against the tree. Rock extended her palm and slammed it hard against her adversaries neck pinning her to the tree in a vice like grip.

Black Gold Saw's look was pure defiance. The thought of being bested by this girl this Black Rock Shooter disgusted her. If she ever made it out of this she swore to take the head of the man driving that gray car. Rock peered in close to Saw's eyes and brought her blades sharp end against the woman's neck. The Cop car's were encircling the parking lot and some men on foot gun's drawn were encroaching on the two girl's position, it was time to make a choice. Rock knew how untrustworthy Black Gold Saw and her otherworldly counterpart were. It caused Mato so much pain and anguish but, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the current predicament they were in was bigger than the both of them. Rock needed Saw's cooperation, more importantly she needed every piece of information she could get if she was going to get back home. Rock took another look at the cop's moving in. They were turning on flashlights now, yelling screaming to each other investigating the warpath Saw and her had left behind. "No choice" she thought. She turned to Black Gold Saw "Your gonna help me." and with that Rock twirled her sword around in her hands and slammed the pummel home on the bridge of Saw's nose as hard as she could. Lights out.

Saw's unconscious form slumped to the ground assisted by Rock. With a bright blue flash Rock dematerialized her Katana and hoisted Black Gold Saw's sword up. She turned the woman around on her belly and took off her jacket. Rock grabbed the top of the jacket at the hem and tore it in half. She took the good end from one slice and tied it around the two long ends of the axis on Black Gold Saw's blade and then threw it over her back. She hoisted the woman up on her shoulders in a fireman's carry and turned into the wood's. Too late! "I found them!" a patrolman said shining his light on Rock and exposing her to the other officer's. Rock turned hard and lept over the creek crossing it one single bound. The patrolmen on the other end took a knee and fired. A hail of gunfire erupted behind Black Rock Shooter tearing the tree's and bushes around her to ribbons. One of the 9 mil rounds grazed Rock's calf on her way down a short slope. "Ahh!" she yelped but, quickly silenced it only to tumble down the backside of the hill. She dropped Saw off her back and the unconscious girl tumbled down after her into a bush.

Rock struggled back to her feet but, the damage to her muscle tissue and the fact that she was trying to run threw the woods in bare feet wasn't helping anything. Rock glanced over her shoulder, not good the shouts were getting closer she could here the police officers stomping threw the creek there flashlights cresting the hill. She flipped the long sword back on her back grabbed Saw's limp body and lept down the hill rolling through thorn bushes, thistles, and dry leaves. The object's scraped her skin and tore at her flimsy hospital gown tearing her flesh. It hurt like hell but, all Rock was hoping for was that the inertia of there unguided roll would allow her to gain some distance from these persistent cops. Saw and her burst threw a pair of bushes and dropped ten feet onto a two way street. Where there bodies made a loud THUMP! As they hit the pavement. Rock groped around trying to adjust her equilibrium. She looked back and then forward just in time to see a pair of headlights careening towards her face.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER: VI

"Gahh! Not again!" Corben shouted as he jerked the wheel hard left and then right bringing the car to a screeching halt in the middle of the road. He brought his head up from the steering wheel and stared into the road. There laid an unconscious Black Gold Saw hair and horns scuffled and dirty from rolling around in the dirt and, on top of her was a much dirtier and much more disheveled and bloody Black Rock Shooter. Corben reached down and flipped off the radio "Lord if you are telling me that I should help this crazy babe and her friend please give me a sign." As Corben said this Rock pushed up off of Saw's lifeless body and rose to her feet. As she did this Saw's long sword caught on the last piece of garment holding up Rock's flimsy, torn, dirty hospital gown and tore it on its way down to the asphalt exposing her breasts and all to the confused young man in the car.

Rock blushed feverishly completely breaking her usually calm demeanor and she crouched down on the asphalt trying to cover herself up with her arm's. Corben stared up at the ceiling of his car "I'll take that, Amen." He reached into his back seat and grabbed his still dirty football jersey. He pushed open his car door and jogged up to Rock. "Here" he said "cover yourself with this." Rock looked up at the young man turned her head right and then grabbed the jersey with a swift tug. She turned around on her knees and threw the dirty garment over her exposed chest. "I thought you and this bitch were enemies." Corben commented. Rock stood to her full height, now decent, to face Corben "this "Bitch" might possess information vital to both her and I getting back to our own dimension."

"Is that so?" Corben mused. There was some loud rustling and shouting as the two watched flashlight beams shine off in the distance over the lip of the hill.

"That's gonna have to wait till later. Come on!" Corben hoist Black Gold Saw's unconscious body up in his arms and sprinted back to his car "Come on hurry!"

Rock took off after him as they laid Saw in the back seat. Corben hopped into the driver's seat and Rock climbed in on the passenger side tossing the gold sword in between her legs. Just as Corben was throwing it in gear the cop's were coming up over the hill. The athlete threw his foot to the floorboards and the old car sped off into the darkness. A few of the officer's shouted "Stop! Hold it right there!" and fired there pistols but, the car was already out of sight.

Detective Jack Augustus sat in the back of an ambulance in the decimated hospital parking lot. Surrounded by officer's from Crime Scene Investigation to Homicide and Arson, Jack looked on as the body bag containing the decapitated officer from before was zipped up and wheeled off to the morgue. An EMT dabbed lightly at a bloody scrape the detective had suffered from the ambulance explosion as two officer's from the search party approached. "Sorry Detective, we lost them."

Jack jumped to his feet pushing the EMT aside "You WHAT! They were on foot, how did you lose them?"

"They had help sir, inside job. Some getaway car pulled up on Brasscastle rd. across from the hospital, tossed the two hellions inside, and sped off into the night." the taller officer replied.

"I don't suppose you got the license plate number?" he asked.

"Nope"

"Well how bout the make of the car?"

The officer turned to his partner who shook his head.

"I'm sorry sir all we know is it was a dark colored four door sedan."

"Oh, well that's GREAT!" Augustus yelled throwing his jacket on the ground "Just fucking great! Do you know how many four door sedans there are in the try-state area? Do you!?"

The two police officer's shook there heads.

Jack was furious "It was a rhetorical question you dumb-ass. Did you see what they did to that officer?" he said pointing at the body bag. "Did you see what they did to that building or the parking lot? You might as well of let Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden just stroll right out of here on a pair of flying pigs!" Augustus took a large step towards the patrolmen, he really wanted to jaw jack them. "Get out of my site, GO!"

The two young men hung there heads and walked off as Valerio walked up, "Damn Jack who pissed in your cheerios?" Augustus let out a long sigh "Huh, not now Jason." Valerio put his hand behind his friends back trying to consul him at least a little. "I hate to break it to you boss but, the bad news doesn't stop there." Jack looked to his partner "What did my ex-wife show up?"

"No" Jason began "worse, the Chief of Police is here, he wants to talk to both of us personally."

"Well that's just perfect" Jack said reaching down to grab his coat. He threw his arms threw the sleeves and took out a cigarette. "I don't suppose you got a lighter?" he asked.

Detective Valerio pulled out a zippo and lit his colleagues smoke as the two strolled over to a small situation center the Newark city police department had set up next to an SUV.

A young secretary stepped forward. "Can I help you gentlemen?"

"Detectives Augustus and Valerio here to see Chief Davis." Jack said taking a long drag on his cigarette.

"Oh, yes" she said "right this way." The secretary opened up the door on the side of a state police SUV and the morbidly obese chief of police of the greater Somerset area rolled his feet out sticking his bald head out the car. "Thanks Joyce" he said "do me a favor and go get the preliminary report from Arson I'm pretty sure we can rule out foul play by the hospital staff." "Yes sir." the young woman said and wandered off to perform her duty. The chief took a long swig out of a Styrofoam coffee cup and went "Ahhh" in a raspy voice. "You two gentlemen were the only two living officer's on scene at the time of this... attack so before the FBI show up and shut us all down and threaten your jobs and mine I need you to give me the low down. A full report top to bottom. And I need it right now." The large bald man took another heavy swig of coffee. "I here it's quite a fantastic tale." The chief finished skeptically. "Sir" Jack started tossing the cigarette on the ground and snuffing it with his left shoe. "Your never going to believe this."

Corben and Rock pulled up to the detached garage next to his house and killed the engine. Corben rotated his head to look in the back seat where sleeping beauty was snoring loudly. Probably from a broken nasal cavity. Corben extended his fingers on the wheel and began "OK, look, I took a big risk back there helping you. Let's hope they didn't see my license plate number because if they did the hole New Jersey police force will be crashing down around us any second and there's nothing I can do to help you then." "I didn't ask for your help." Rock blurted out.

"No you didn't" Corben cut her off "But regardless of how this goes down from here on out where in this together, understand?" Rock looked down at her knees and then back at the young man in the driver's seat. "What's your plan?" she asked. Corben sighed "Well first off I think we have to figure out a way to question her" he shrugged his head at Black Gold Saw "without her killing us. My old man keeps some tractor chains in the garage for winter plowing. You think those will hold her long enough for us to have a conversation with her?"

Rock looked back at her knees then at Saw's enormous sword and thought hard. "Rock?!" Corben snapped. The girl slammed back down to Earth "Yeah that should do it." she said. "Good my dad works graveyard shift tonight so he won't be home till tomorrow. After we get her tied down we should wake her up so you can pull her to our side." Rock looked at Corben with a bit of skepticism "What makes you think she will help us?" Rock asked. "If she wants to go home just as bad as you do then maybe she'll declare truce. What do ya think?" Corben asked all ears. Rock turned to look out the window "Black Gold Saw is a master of deception, so is her other world self. I can't guarantee anything. If she doesn't cooperate" Rock turned to meet Corben's eyes once more. "I'll have to kill her." This time Corben broke eye contact looking down at his dash board. "Understood." he said solemnly. Rock and Corben exited the car Corben opened the back door and pulled there prisoner out of the back seat.

He hoisted her up the young woman's raven hair catching some breeze and slammed the door with his foot Rock following in tow with the gold serrated sword. As they entered the garage Corben hopped and flipped the light on with his knee brightening the dreary garage. He walked over to a couple of boards and some dowels and laid Black Gold Saw down against the tool box. Rock looked around the garage taking the large room in. It was like watching a child in a toy store or more likely a blind person who could see for the first time.

"Where are we?" the young girl asked.

"This is my dad's garage" Corben said opening some drawers.

"What's that?" Rock said pointing to an old 69 Maverick in the corner.

"That's my project car" Corben said dragging some boxes down off a high shelf. "Once my old man retires and I hit it big playing for Notre Dame where gonna fix her up and cruise around until the tires fall off. You wanna come with?"

"I'm not sure cruising is in my blood." Rock said nonchalantly.

"Honey" Corben smirked pulling some chains out of an old steel box "I'm not sure what's in your blood."

"Those it?" Rock asked.

"Yup, here give me a hand."

Rock and Corben hoisted Black Gold Saw up onto a rusty tool bench and let her legs hang off. Corben walked over to the box and threw the chains over his shoulder then made his way back to the bench. "Ya know, your pretty strong for a regular human." Rock commented. Corben spread a big grin "Yeah well your to strong for your own good, now lets see." The young receiver hauled the chains up to chest level and started laying them over the dark haired woman. He pulled out some old meat hooks and jimmied together a rather expedient bond for the raven haired titan. He made some last minute adjustments took a step back and looked at his work, a new smile decorating his face. "Perfect" he said. Pleased with his work the man turned to his new friend "You think that will hold her." Rock glanced at the chains then back at him. "Won't know until she wakes up besides we still don't know if she even WILL help us. One thing is for sure come hell or high water I'm getting to the bottom of this." Corben smiled and then glanced st Rock from head to toe. "What?!" she said.

"Your not actually thinking about saving the world in a torn hospital gown and my old practice jersey are you?" Rock looked down at her torn clothes and the disgusting gray and white shirt with the number eleven emblazoned on it and blushed. "Those people at that... clinic took my clothes." she said accusingly.

"Yeah well you didn't have a very uh, acceptable sense of style to begin with." Corben said scratching his cheek he met eyes with Rock who was piercing his soul with angry dagger like eyes. Corben stopped and let his hand fall to his side "Uhhh, wait here I think my Mom has some clothes left over in the house. Give me a sec and I'll be back." Corben stepped out into the darkness and then turned and poked his head back in the garage "Don't touch anything, some of this stuff is really expensive." Rock turned and gave him the classic teenage girl "come on!" look. Corben exhaled "Right, right clothes, sorry sorry." The young man turned around and set off for the back door of his house.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER: VII

Corben pushed through the back door of his house into the basement and walked up the stairs where his old friend Hannah from school was fast asleep on the couch. Her short blonde hair a mess over her tanned face. Hannah was a sophomore and one of Corben's closest childhood friends. Although they had never dated, they were quite close. This made her the natural choice for babysitting Corben's kid sister Amy since there Dad worked such long shifts trying to keep up with the bills to keep food on the table and a roof over there heads. Corben kicked off his shoes at the top of the stairs and looked at his watch 8:42 PM. He looked at Hannah then back at the door and slammed it hard. Hannah stirred quietly and opened her small blue eyes. "Oh, Corben, welcome back." she said sitting up to rise from the sofa. "Hey Hannah, wheres the squirt?" Hannah looked at her watch. "She fell asleep a little while ago. Where have you been it's not like you to be this late?" Hannah approached her friend a small look of concern on her face. Corben looked at her then the TV the news was already talking about the incident at the hospital. "Well I stopped at the hospital but, then that happened" he said pointing at the TV.

She looked at the TV and grabbed the remote to turn it up a little. The newscaster was giving a very... different story from what Corben remembered "Well Chet the police are being pretty tight lipped about the whole situation and we still aren't quite sure what caused the explosion that, as you can see, blew out a pretty large section of the fourth floor of St. Luke's hospital here in Newark New Jersey. Now the FBI have just arrived on scene and are beginning there investigation process. But from the associated press and there PR representatives the local police aren't ready to rule out domestic or possibly even foreign terrorist action but, one thing is for sure the local authorities are... Hannah cut off the news caster in mid stride "Oh my God! Corben you were there?" Corben circled the easy chair on the other side of the living room and sat back in it. "I'm fine, I'm fine" he said "I was already out of the parking lot when the whole thing went down."

"What were you doing there in the first place?" she asked stepping in front of the chair blocking the television. "You remember that girl I told you about? The one I almost hit with my car?" Hannah shook her head in acknowledgment.

"I just wanted to stop by and bring her some flowers that's all you know a get well soon present."

"Is she OK?" Hannah asked now fully intent on getting to the bottom of her friends strife.

"I'm sure she's fine there were plenty of other cops there and look." Corben said standing back up. "Not a scratch on me you see?"

Hannah came over and hugged her childhood friend then looked up into his face. "Well so long as your OK" she said. "You gonna be all right for the rest of the night?"

"Oh yeah, yeah, I just need to finish my homework ya know." he said.

Corben hated lying to one of his closest friends but, he had enough problems to deal with what with the two crazy Asian pseudo humans in his garage. "OK, well I'm gonna go call my dad to come and pick me up. You mind if I use the home phone my cell ran out of battery?" she asked walking into the kitchen. Corben chuckled half halfheartedly "No, no of course not you said Amy's up stairs sleeping?"

"Yeah" Hannah replied picking up the phone. Corben marched up stairs and hung a right down the hallway. He creaked the door to his little sisters room open a hair and peered in. Amy was fast asleep on her stomach her long red hair sprawled out over her face and cover's pulled down around her waist. Corben opened the door carefully and walked into the room where he stopped beside the bed. He grabbed his young siblings sheets and pulled them up closer to her head. Corben smiled at his little sister as she turned over her hair becoming all tangled over her little face. He patted her on the head once and then left closing the door so only a little sliver of light came in on the young girls face.

Corben walked into his parents bedroom and flipped on the light. Most of his mother's old clothes were stored in boxes in the back of a separated closet that his parents used. He opened the door and took down some boxes. Skirts and shirts, jeans and shorts, along with a few hats and unmentionables littered the floor. His Mom had been slightly taller and larger than Rock's petite body so finding clothes that actually might fit was going to be a challenge. The first thing the Boy grabbed was a long black belt with a looped gold buckle. This might serve to hold up any pants he could give the girl. Since it was already summer he pulled aside some shorts and pants and a single jean skirt then started digging for shoes. A folded dusty cardboard box came loose and hit the floor a large beach hat with sun flower ensemble slid half way out of the box. Corben picked up the hat and rolled the rim around in his fingers a little staring at the straw base. "Next month will mark the 7th year anniversary of mom's death." he thought.

Corben heard the door behind him creak a little. He looked back to see Hannah standing in the doorway. "What are you doing?" she asked. Corben stuffed the hat back in the box "Dad wanted me to organize some of Mom's things" he lied "I think he might wanna give some of these things to good will or somethin, ya know?" Hannah looked at the clothes pile then back out the door "If you could let me take a look through em, some time that would be great. Your Mom had a sweet sense of style."

"Yeah she most certainly did." Corben said looking down at the floor.

Hannah knew her friends deceased mother was a touchy subject and decided not to elaborate. "My dad's here so I'm gonna take off I'll see ya tomorrow, same time?"

Corben stood up and placed some of the folded clothes on the bed "Yeah same time." he said. "Alright well take care of yourself." Hannah waved at his back and then went downstairs to put her shoes on. Corben continued to stare at the stack of clothes until he heard the front door slam.

He grabbed a few more clothes tossed them all into a trash bag and stacked the boxes back in the closet before shutting the door. He headed back downstairs and stuffed his feet back in his shoes without tying the laces. As he headed downstairs he saw an old feeding bucket tossed in the corner. He tossed the clothes on an old table and went back up stairs. Sticking the bucket underneath the faucet he filled it with lukewarm water as close to the top as he could get it. Satisfied the boy headed back downstairs grabbed the bag of clothes and headed outside.

Back in the garage Rock was standing over Saw's unconscious body her hands clenched around the long black and gold sword that belonged to her fast asleep adversary. Rock hoisted the blade up to eye level and stared into the serrated edge catching her reflection. "I could do it." she thought. "I could kill her right now, with her own weapon. But then what chance do I have of getting home." Rock was worried, worried about Mato and Yomi, about Dead Master and Strength. She wasn't sure what to do or who to trust. Life had been so simple in the other world. All she had to do was fight. All she ever had to do was fight, that was her purpose, Black Rock Shooter's purpose. "So what now?" she thought bringing the sword down to rest on Saw's belly. And what about this Corben kid. Rock was wrought with indecisiveness. She moved the blade slowly up to Saw's neck the sleeping woman completely unaware of her current situation. "Maybe I should just kill them all and take my chances." Rock thought to herself her left eye beginning to burn it's harsh blue flame.

Corben knocked on the door of the garage startling Rock and causing the flame to go out. He looked at the sword and then back at Rock "Am I interrupting?" Rock looked at the sword and laid it on a tool chest. "No, you got some clothes?"

"Yeah look, your obviously far skinnier than my mom was so I just grabbed a hand full but, either way your probably going to need this." Corben said tossing the girl a long black belt with a circular gold buckle. Rock snatched the belt out of the air and turned it over in her hands. Corben approached and handed her the trash bag full of clothes then, pointed over his shoulder. "Take those stairs up to the loft and try em out, there's an old mirror on the far wall. Once you find something that works come on back down. Will see if we can't wake your friend up." the boy said shooting a thumb at Black Gold Saw. Rock nodded and ascended the stairs.

When she reached the top she pulled over a small bench and dumped the clothes out on the surface. She separated the shirt's, shoe's, skirts, and pants. There was even a pair of torn jean shorts. Rock laid those ones off to the side. No matter what those were going with her. As she modeled for herself in front of the mirror, Corben ran his finger's along the huge sword on the chest. He grabbed the hilt and lifted with some effort. The blade was extremely heavy at least 60 pounds he ventured. He hoisted it up and turned it around in his grasp. "Aw man, I don't know what I'm getting myself into" he whispered quietly to himself.

"What you say!?" Rock shouted from upstairs. Corben was surprised the girl had such good hearing and clumsily dropped the sword smashing his foot on the flat edge. He threw his hand over his mouth. "Ahhhmmmfff!" he muffled into his fist.

"Nothing" he lied "nothing, uhhh, you find any clothes that fit you?"

"Yeah" she replied "in a way. I think your gonna have to adjust this belt none of the holes are close enough to my waist size."

"When your ready bring it down, I'll adjust the notches."

"Hey Corben?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Won't your mom notice her clothes missing?"

Corben hoisted the sword back up on the chest and laid his hands flat across it.

"My mom's dead." he said without feeling. Upstairs Rock stopped in the middle of trying on a pair of pants and looked over her shoulder "I'm sorry." she said.

Corben turned to look at Saw then up to the loft "It's OK, life... it throws you curve balls every once in a while." Rock sensed the hurt in her new friends voice. She put the jean shorts back on and looked in the mirror. "Is that what this guy is?" she thought "My first real friend. Was Dead Master my friend?" she thought long and hard about this. "Do I have any friends?" Rock mulled it over and then snuffed the emotion all together. Such thought's she felt, were very dangerous. She threw the belt over her right shoulder and the bag of clothes over her left. Using her open free hand to hold her shorts up she headed downstairs. "What do ya think?" she said walking down the stairs towards Corben.

Rock had chosen a short pair of torn jean shorts with a pair of all star kicks and a purple shirt with a pink star in the center. Along with her unkempt pig tails and dirty appearance she looked like a twelve year old who just got done playing in the mud. "Looks great." Corben lied. Rock handed him the belt. "Can you make it work the waist is to big." she said.

"Yeah give me a sec." Corben replied. He took the belt and opened a few drawers before pulling out a small box cutter. "Come here" he said. Rock stepped forward. Corben bent down below her midriff and wrapped the belt around her waist. Rock blushed hard. The least he could of done was tell her. "Hold here" he said grabbing Rocks hand placing it over the belts leather. The young man stood up and used the box cutter to make an X- incision in the belts lining. "OK" he said smiling "try that." Rock took the belt and looped it threw her belt loops and slid the buckle through the new hole. She looked up at her new friend and beamed "Perfect!"

"Great!" Corben replied bending down to pick up a bucket of water.

"Whats that?" Rock asked.

"Wake up juice" Corben smirked and then threw the hole bucket in Black Gold Saw's face.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER: VIII

Black Gold Saw coughed hard and shook her head furiously left and right the water didn't hurt but, the sensation shocked her back to the conscious world. As her vision cleared she stared up at a ply wood ceiling and a blinding arc light. She squinted her eyes and rolled her head as a dark figure came into picture. The figures hair and eyes slowly took shape and there stood Black Rock Shooter. The red eyed woman glared at her foe and pulled against an unspeakable force. She couldn't move! Saw pulled hard and heard the slight creak and crack of iron chains as she flexed her muscles and fought for freedom. She rolled her head up and looked down at her body. A trio of netted chains were keeping her body strapped to a heavy metal table. She rolled her head back to Rock and her eyes burned with such a hatred. Rock looked over at Corben and gave him a thumbs up then she grabbed Saw by the horns and shoved her head back to the table.

Rock slid her finger's down to her adversaries throat and brought her face close. "English" Rock said. Saw's eyes widened a little. The two had fought off and on for the better part of two years but, holding conversations was not part of there... relationship. Rock opened her mouth again "Speak English Saw." Saw turned a little and looked at the boy next to her makeshift prison. It was the same one who had been driving that gray car. The girl glared and then looked back at Rock "Why should I?" she said. "Because" Rock began "we are not in mainland Japan."

"Where are we?" Saw asked.

"America on the other plane. The human plane." Rock brought her hands away from Saw's throat.

"How do you know?" the older woman asked.

"Locals told me."

"And?" Saw said closing her eyes in defiance.

"And I need your help."

"You... need my help, heh, forget it. What makes you think I'll help you?"

Rock turned away and grabbed the sword off the table. She grabbed a crop of Saw's hair and brought the blade to her chest. Saw screamed in anger "Go ahead do it!"

Rock applied pressure to the blade drawing a small sliver of red blood from Saw's chest "What makes you think, you will come back if I do." Rock said a smirk on her face.

Saw blinked twice and then looked up into the girls blue eyes. "What do you mean?" she said.

"We aren't in the other world anymore, and whatever brought us here isn't just gonna let us go back. If you don't wanna help me that's fine I'll just kill you right here!" Rock spat applying more pressure to the blade causing the blood to flow down the woman's bikini top. "But if you wanna be better than that. Set aside our differences and figure out a way back home then, Heh, you better let me know right now." The Blue flame above Rock's eye ignited showing her resolve. Saw stared deep into the young woman's eyes She knew the girl wasn't bluffing. That was there purpose, the purpose of the other world. To fight and die and live to fight again. "What's your plan?" Saw inquired closing her eyes and turning her head to the side to rest it on the cold metal surface. Rock looked up at Corben who smiled. "We don't have one yet" Rock started "but, this guy says he might be able to help us." Rock brought the sword away from Saw's chest where the blood slid down onto the table and pooled in a small mass. Saw looked the teenage boy up and down and smiled before leaning her head back against the table. "We still have a score to settle. I don't much like getting blind sided." Saw chuckled a little to herself. Corben approached the captive "Yeah well I guess we can all settle our differences once we figure out how to get you guys home, huh?"

Saw stared into Corbens eyes a misconstrued look on her face. "What do you stand to gain from helping us? Why bother?"

Corben scratched the back of his head "To be honest I couldn't tell you. You two are nothin but trouble. But regardless of how our paths came to cross I feel the least I could do is help you guys get home." Saw smiled and turned to Rock "And you believe this nut job?" Corben's cheeks turned red with anger "NUTJOB?!"

Rock held up a hand to the teenage boy "Calm down" she said "we have to know now." Rock turned and stared straight into Saw's soul. "Black Gold Saw are you in or out?" Rock asked solemnly. Saw laughed a sinister laugh "HA HA HA!, Oh I'm in, if helping you two losers means getting back to my dimension then I'll be glad to help. But, make no mistake Black Rock Shooter, when we get back to our dimension we finish this, understand?" Rock nodded and then turned to Corben. "Let her go."

Corben bent down underneath the rusty table and said "relax." Black Gold Saw eased up on her muscles and Corben undid the chains. Saw sat up the chains falling to the floor with two loud CLANGS! She pushed her arms over head and stretched a little then wiped the blood off her chest. She hopped down off her former prison and faced Rock who handed her the woman's sword. Saw brought the blade up to her face and stared into the Gold serrated edge. The woman leaned back a little looking at Rock "How do you know I won't just kill you and your little friend here?" Rock didn't back down she met Saw's gaze with both barrels "Saw I may not know you but, I know the force that drives you. Your not gonna kill me, not if you want to get back to our dimension." Saw flipped the sword around in her hands and the sword dispersed in a flash of red light "Oh your good" she said "your very good." Saw turned to Corben and the boy had to admit he felt a little uneasy. It was those eyes, Black Gold Saw's eyes were, in contrast to Rock's, a deep deadly red. He didn't trust her. "OK brain child" Saw indicated to Corben "what have you got in mind?"

Corben leaned against the wall "Well Rock says her other worldly self's name is Mato Kuroi, on top of that we know which country to start our search. How bout you? You know your Earthly name?"

Saw raised a clawed finger to her face and scratched her beauty mark "Saya" she said "Saya Irino."

"Great!" Corben exclaimed "Now we have two names and a country to start. All we have to do is cross check the names and living distance from the two individuals and we should have a general idea of where to start our search."

Saw broke a small bead of sweat and moved towards Corben "How does that help anyone? There's millions of people in Japan alone, how are we supposed to find just two people?"

Corben grinned from ear to ear. "Ever heard of Facebook?"

Rock and Saw looked at each other, blank expressions of confusion on there faces then looked back at Corben and shook there heads "no".

"Come on I'll show you" he said as he left the garage with his two new friends in tow.

Corben sat down at the desk in front of the computer in his Dad's office and booted up the PC. "So this internet is like a library?" Rock asked. "Kind of" Corben explained "it's like a free library that contains useful and useless information depending on what your looking for. One thing we use it for, at least on this "plane of existence" he said moving his index and middle finger up and down sarcastically "is communication with other people. The most popular one being Facebook. Over one sixth of the worlds population use's it to stay in touch with friends and discuss stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Rock asked.

"All kind's of stuff." Corben shot back.

"So what makes you think our other selves use this thing?" Saw asked skeptically.

Corben turned around and looked at the two girls from head to toe and back to head.

"To young girls below the age of thirty. Yeah I'd say they probably have an account. I don't know if your aware of this but normal woman have a tendency to be very... talkative, and they don't go around killing each other with ethereal guns and swords and nonsense."

Corben opened up a web page and brought himself to the Facebook home page. He logged in under his name and brought up his wall "See?" he asked. Black Gold Saw pushed his chair out of the way sending the young boy flying against the wall as her and Rock peered in at the computer screen. Saw looked over at the angry lad as he pushed his chair back over to the desk. "I still don't understand how this is going to help us?" Saw said skeptically. "Well" Corben said "if you wouldn't mind being a little more polite! I'll tell you." Saw crossed her arms raw eyed and stepped away from the screen. Corben cleared his throat "UM hum! Basically we do a few Google searches in conjunction with Facebook here to find all the Mato's and Saya's in Japan. Then we narrow our search by looking for people with those names who live within say oh, 10 miles of each other. If you guys have met in your world then that means this dimensions version of you should of met in this world, right?" Saw and Rock shook there heads in the affirmative. "Then that settles it tomorrow we start our search for your other selves, any questions?"

Rock raised her hand like a school kid. "What?" Corben asked. "Why can't we start the search tonight?" Rock said canting her head to the side like an innocent child. "Because" Corben began "I have school tomorrow and although I agreed to help you two, me not going to school or staying up all night or taking a luxury trip to Japan with two sexy ladies..." Saw slapped Corben over the back of the head. The boy regained his composure and continued "these actions might become suspicious. My dad's a cop to and he can see right through shit like this. We need to keep this on the down low. I'll go to school tomorrow and you two can stay in the guest bedroom. When I get back tomorrow we'll start our search. School ends next week and then I'll have the whole summer to figure out a way to get you guys to Japan. Until then could you guys please avoid fighting, or blowing shit up, or turning my house or the good state of New Jersey into a war zone?"

Saw and Rock looked at each other with blank angelic faces and crossed there finger's over there heart. "Good now I don't suppose you take shower's in your dimension?" Corben asked. "Why do you ask?" Rock said. "Because you guys stink and the only girl soap I have is Irish sheep soap for my little sister. So I hope you two don't mind, unless of course you wanna smell like Axe Shock shower gel."

After a rather awkward conversation about the merits of personal hygiene in the greater human population Corben managed to draw a bath for his two new female friends. He picked out a pair of clothes from the same set Rock had used and left them on the sink for Saw before leaving the girls to there business. He walked down to his room and threw on some gym shorts and a new shirt. Reaching over to his dresser he plugged in his phone and turned on the alarm on his bedside clock then he headed back down to the bathroom to check on the girls. As he approached the door he thought he heard laughing coming from inside. He knocked on the door and called in "You guys alright?" The giggling stopped and Rock's voice yelled over from the other side "Uhhh, yeah just five more minutes!" Corben turned away and headed back to his room. "You can take the girl away from fun but, you can't take the fun out of the girl" he thought.

Corben set aside the guest bed for Rock and a small military cot his dad had stored in the attic for Saw. "Alright guys I'm sorry it has to be like this but, I promise will start the search tomorrow just please be patient." Corben said as he flipped out the light and began closing the door. "Corben?" Rock called out to him. "Yeah whats up?" he asked. "Thank you, thank you for helping us." Rock said and Saw added "Yeah dude thanks, your all right. I'm still gonna kill you some day though."

Corben continued closing the door and chuckled "Will just have to wait and see about that now won't we?" As the door eased shut Saw rolled over to Rocks side and asked "Doesn't he look an awful lot like "White Blade Knight" Rock interrupted. Saw narrowed her eyes "yeah" she said. Rock rolled over to look out the window "he sure does" she replied "he sure does."


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER: IX

Detective Augustus pushed his dirty coffee mug underneath the dispenser and watched it fill up with the murky black liquid. It was 2 in the morning and he was about to enter his second double shift. After the escapade at the hospital the FBI had showed up and then things really went south. Now the bugger's in black suits were crawling all over the station there was even talk of the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security showing up. "Aw, foowy" he thought. If these guys wanted any real evidence they needed to hit the beat not be questioning officer's who weren't even on scene and hog tying the chief of police. Jack pulled the cup away and brought it up to his lips. He sniffed the joe smiled a bit and took a nice swig as his partner Jason Valerio entered the break room. "I got that file you asked for." he said. "Good" Jack took the file and popped a squat at the table. One of the luxuries of being a boring traffic detective was automatic access to every traffic report that came through the station, regardless of who was calling the shots.

Jack popped a squat at a nearby table and opened the file. He exhaled and opened his mind. There wasn't a lot to go on. The description of the vehicle was a dark colored four door sedan with no license plate number. Now there had to be a way to narrow this down. He flipped the pages in the file front to back and back to front. The car sped off causing a skid in the road measuring 22.4 ft in length and 11.22 inches in width at the apex of the tire. This meant... nothing. "huuuhhh" the plump detective exhaled hard again and put his hands up to his face covering his eyes from the harsh light. "I can't even remember the last time I slept." Jack said lowly to his partner. Jason looked at his watch and replied all chipper like "46 hours boss." Detective Augustus pulled his hands away from his face and glared at his colleague "Thanks Vanna White" he said sarcastically. "Oh man what a shit show, was anybody hurt other than that poor uniform?"

Detective Valerio looked down at the table and said "Naw, I'll tell you what though that kid sure is lucky. I can't believe that girl saved him from a four story drop. Looks like he's gonna live to see the NFL huh?"

"What kid?" Augustus asked.

"You know" Valerio said locking eyes with his partner "Corben uh, Smyth the kid with the flower's."

Jack leaned back in his chair "Oh, yeah." He said reflecting on the goofy football player.

Valerio chuckled a little "It's not every day you get saved by a teenage hottie from a four story drop. It's a good thing he didn't hit her with his car. Otherwise he might not of had such a lucky break, ya know?"

Augustus let his chair slide back to the floor "Yeah he sure was..." Jack stopped mid sentence staring off into space the cogs in his head turning all at once. "Car" he thought "car".

Jack reached across the table wide eyed spilling his coffee and grabbing his partners shoulders. "Repeat what you just said!"

"What?!" Valerio was worried, had his boss finally gone off the deep end.

"Just do it!" Jack screamed.

"Saved by a teenage hottie."

"No after that."

"The kid could have been road pizza."

"No before that you idiot!"

"It's a good thing he didn't hit her with his car."

"That's it" Jack said letting go of his partner and standing up all at once "the car, THE CAR!" he repeated.

"Boss your losing me" Jason said with a rye look on his face.

"Jason your a genius. Do we still have the police report from that kid the Smyth boy?"

"Yeah" the detective started "it's still sitting in my office."

"Go get it!" The fatter detective demanded.

"Why?" his partner asked.

"Just do it!" Augustus snapped and Valerio jumped out of his seat and left the break room almost hitting his face on the glass door on the way out.

Detective Valerio burst into his office and grabbed the top file off of his desk knocking a bunch of paper's and his desk lamp to the floor with a SMASH! He didn't care he ran back into the hallway where he bumped into one of the suits from the many three letter agencies who were currently performing a hostile takeover on his station. He pushed the man aside and made his way down the hall back to the break room. "Uhhh!" the guy remarked "Excuse you!" the man yelled to Valerio's back. "Bite me!" Jason yelled over his shoulder. Jason threw the door to the break room open and slammed the file on the desk. "This better be good chief" Valerio breathed out "I just tossed one of the suits in the hallway." Jack opened up Smyth's file and then the report about the getaway car from the hospital. "If I'm right" he started "we may be onto a breakthrough that even these knuckle heads won't figure out." He flipped to the vehicle description page on file number one and peered down at the tire width 11.22 inches, he gasped and then flipped file number two to a similar page. "11.22 inches!" he screamed

"Jason!" he exclaimed "we have our prime suspect."

"Boss let me get this straight" Valerio started "are you saying that all American football boy was driving the getaway car for Asian Goddess and her Jersey devil friend."

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Detective Augustus pointed at the folder "Here look here" he said pointing at the file's. "The tire width's for both the kids car and the getaway car are the exact same width. He was also the only one on seen driving a dark colored four door sedan at the time of the attack on the hospital. For all intents and purposes he is the getaway driver!"

Valerio looked at both folders then back at Jack "Well great then let's turn our findings over to the FBI and be done with this case."

"We can't do that."

"What?!"

"We can't do that." Jack repeated.

"Why the hell not!?" Valerio exclaimed.

"Do you remember what I said before that ambulance exploded?" the detective asked his partner.

"Yeah that this thing is bigger than both of us." Jason recited.

"Jason look at me" Augustus said as he sat down at the table "A case like this only comes around once in a lifetime, sometimes not at all, and you want turn this case, OUR case! Over to the F...B...I."

Detective Valerio sat down across from his partner and leaned back in his chair thinking hard. He had known and worked with Detective Jack Augustus for a very long time. To long it seemed like some days. But, he had to give it up to his boy. The man was a brilliant detective and once he felt the thrill of the chase no matter who told him to do otherwise he wasn't gonna stop until he nabbed his man. Jason also recognized that the guy was also a certified lunatic, a workaholic, an alcoholic, and a chain smoker. He was also the only man Jason had ever trusted with every fiber of his being and if his best friend was about to go head first off the deep end well then it looked like he was inclined to join him.

"Alright I'm in." Jason said a devious smirk spreading across his face "What do you need me to do?"

Jack pulled out a cigarette and lit up. "Omit the Smyth boy from your report at the hospital."

"Completely?"

"Completely!"

"Boss look I have faith and all" Valerio started "but how long you think it's gonna be before these guys find those two reports and put two and two together themselves?"

"Trust me" Detective Augustus stated full of conviction "by the time these bone heads finish up with there little CSI bullshit we will of already of nabbed these punks and presented them to the chief ourselves. We just leave the report from the hospital here" he said lifting up the brown folder and setting it back down from the table "and this one... well it got lost in filing."

The two foxy gentlemen grinned at there own cunning. This was a career maker here.

As the two detectives beamed in there brief reverie the door to the break room opened and two men in full black suits walked in "Excuse me gentlemen?" the one in front inquired "are you two detectives Valerio and Augustus?" the suit asked. Jack looked at Jason and then the two looked back at the intruder's and shook there heads north and south. "I'm Agent Smith FBI this is Agent Johnson CIA we have a few questions we would like to ask you could you please come with us?" The two Detectives exchanged glances one more time and then headed for the door. As the two Agent's turned there backs however Detective Augustus reached to the table grabbed the folder he desired and slid it down the back side of his pants before adjusting his brown suit jacket so it covered the folder from sight completely.

Detective Augustus had sat outside the interrogation room in his own station for the better part of an hour. Drifting in and out of rem sleep the middle aged detective pulled out a cigarette and lit up. There was no doubt in his mind that the young girl he had encountered at the hospital was, as crazy as it sounded, superhuman in a way. He reviewed the straight facts in his head. Both her and the woman with horns were capable of great feats of stamina and strength. They also were in some fashion able to create weapons of unknown scale and model from seemingly nothing. "This case" Jack began to come terms with himself "could kill me." The very notion scared him a little. However, the fact that there might actually be supermen or in this case super "women" out there was to fantastic of a case to pass up. It was there on that dirty bench as the man leaned over and flicked a bit of ash from his cigarette into an empty coffee mug that Detective Jack Augustus made a promise to himself. "I'm going to see this thing through to the end" he quietly promised "even if it kills me."

The door to interrogation room number one opened and his partner Valerio emerged from the doorway, his head hanging like a defeated child. One of the agents poked there head out behind the distraught man and peered at Jack "We're ready to see you now Detective." And with that the agent ducked back into the room. Augustus rose and leaned close into his partners ear "meet me in the parking lot" he said, and strolled into the white room closing the door behind him. Once inside the tallest of the agents Johnson indicated to the chair "please have a seat." Jack sat and adjusted himself a little then put the cigarette out in the ashtray on the table that separated him from the suits. Agent Smith took a seat and opened a file, Jacks file.

"Detective Augustus" he began looking up from the folder "you have a rather impressive record I must say. Eight years of military service along with 22 years on the force broken up of course. Multiple commendations and honorary citations, excellent pistol, rifle, and shotgun score and it says here you spent two years teaching at the academy in Morristown." Jack leaned back and pulled out another cigarette, he lit the fine end and blew smoke in his interrogators direction "Does it give my shoe size to?" he asked sarcastically. The two men on the other side of the table were not impressed. Agent Smith flipped to the back of the file and pulled on some red and black tape and then pulled out another set of papers. A very classified set of papers. The agent looked up at the fat detective again his face looked like it was chiseled out of stone. "However" he started again "when we look at your psychiatric profile it tells a very different story. Divorced, excessive substance abuse including alcohol and you tested positive for Vicodin a rather expensive pain killer during one urinalysis. Two counts of suspension and a personal note from a Dr. Shurtz: Subject show signs of obsessive compulsive disorder and uses his work as an excuse to" Jack jumped up from his chair the furniture fell backwards hitting the floor with a loud BANG!

"Hey ASSWHOLE! That's a sealed file you don't have the authority" the agent rose to meet Jacks eyes and cut him off "Oh, but we do detective. We also had words with your supervisor who assured us you would be cooperative. Now we are not here to insult you, we merely wish to compile a list of notes and complete our investigation in a timely manner. Please have a seat and lets start over." Jack sat back down and took another drag on his cigarette. "What do you need to know?" he asked. "Exactly what you saw" Agent Smith leaned in close "no matter how crazy it sounds."

Valerio was standing next to his car as the sun rose when Jack exited the precinct strolling toward his faithful partner. "I got suspended" Jason said.

"Yeah me to" Jack replied "30 days."

"Boss you were right, there definatley hiding something."

"Heh heh, yeah no doubt." Jack said approaching his partner and pulling the folder on Corben Smyth out from behind his back.

"So whats our first move?" his partner asked tossing a cigarette to the ground.

"Well" the fatter detective stated opening the folder "this has Smyth's home of address. Most of the schools around here let out at 3 PM. Head on home and catch some sleep. Meet me at my place at 2:30 sharp."

"And then what?" Valerio asked.

"We start separating the facts from the fiction." the man said closing the folder.


End file.
